Foot-rest



(No Model.)

H e h s m. e e h S 2 w Rm NE M H T No. 456,557. Patented July 28, 1891.

WITNESSES.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. N. DERBY. FOOT REST.

N0 456,557., Patented July 28, 1891.

INVENTD WITNESSES! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. DERBY, OF ROUND LAKE, NEW' YORK.

FOOT-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,557, dated July 28,1891.

Application filed February 8, 1890. Serial No. 389,702. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS N. DERBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Round Lake, county of Saratoga, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Rests, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claim ed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 is a view in rear elevation of the ends of a pew-seat with themiddle portion broken away, showing two of my improved foot or kneerests supported thereby, the one on the left being swung up out of useand the other being in position for use by the occupant of the next seatin rear of the one shown. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical cross-sections oftwo seats arranged one in front of the other to form a passage-waybetween them, taken on the plane indicated by the broken line 2 3 inFig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow thereon, Fig. 2 showing therest in position for use, and Fig. 3 showing the rest swung up under theseat out of use. Fig. at is a crosssection of the rock-shaft andoperating-lever, taken on the broken lineet 4 in Fig. 1, the upper endof the lever being broken away and the lever-locking plate being shownin elevation secured to a portion of the end seat-support A.

My improved foot or knee restis especially adapted for use inchurch-pews, being made easily accessible for use and adapted to bequickly swung up out of use with the foot to leave the passage-way alongthe pew free and clear of all obstructions, thereby permitting freeingress and egress to the occupants. The rests are so arranged that eachcan be swung into or out of its position for use independently of theothers or all together, as may be desired.

A is the back of a pew-seat, A the seat, and A the space under the seat.The rock shaft or bar B has end hearings in the upright seat-supports Aat the ends of the pew. The shaft is provided at one end with alockingand operating bifurcated lever B, pivoted at B upon the shaft to swingin the same plane with the shaft to and from the locking and bearingplate B secured to the upright A When the lug or flange B on the leveris forced into recess B behind the stop 13, the shaft is locked andbecomes fixed in its bearings. The shaft supports the rests C, hingedthereon by means of the strap-hinges O, secured to the rest, as byscrews 0 One end of each strap is provided with an eye 0 adapted toreceive and fit loosely upon the shaft. The other end of each strap isprovided with a cone-bearing adapted to receive the cones C looselyfitting therein and pro jecting from the ends of the leg-frame C. Theleg-frame thus hinged to the swinging edges of the rest is preferablymade of a single piece of cast metal, having the supporting-legs C. Whendesired, the rest may be partly controlled by a spring.

I haveshown a coil-spring D surrounding the shaft, one end of which D isfixed in the shaft, while the other end D is secured to the rest, as bythe staples D whereby its resilient force is exerted to swing the restup under or against the seat to an approximately vertical position, likethat shown by the solid lines in Fig. 3. The power of the spring ispreferably such that when the rest is swung down for use to thehorizontal position, (shown by the solid lines in Fig. 2,) or to a lowerposition, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, the spring is not ableto overcome the weight of the rest, and the latter will remain in thedesired position until swung part way up from the horizontal positiontoward the seat, after which the spring will carry it to the positionshown in Fig. 3 under the seat, leaving the passage-way P between thetwo seats clear of obstruct-ions. As the rest swings through the are,represented by the curved dotted line C from the position shown in Fig.2 to that shown in Fig. 3, the leg-frame and legs 0 swing upon thecone-bearings from the relative position shown in Fig. 2 to that shownin Fig. 3.

The rests are each provided with levers C projecting radially from theeye-hinges, to

enable the operator to swing the rests by pressing his foot upon one ofsuch levers or lu s.

2& indicates a recess or stop formed in the rear of the seat to receivethe edge of the foot- ;rest when raised to about a vertical plane. Thisprevents the turning of the foot-rest en tirely over, and permits it tobe held by the spring out of the passage, in convenient position to bedepressed by the application of the foot to the lever O I am aware thatfoot-rests made revoluble on pivots have been combined with springs, andI do not broadly claim such device.

WVhen desired, all the rests may be swung down to the position shown inFig. 2 at once by means of the rock-lever 3, it only being necessary toswing the lever on its pivot out from the locking-plate B to theposition shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l and then forward to aboutthe position indicated by the dotted lines B in Fig. 2. WVhen the leverB is locked in the position shown in Fig. 1, the upper end of the flangeBiresting in the recess B bears against the plate at the upper end ofthe recess and holds the shaft down and prevents it from being liftedfrom its bearing in the lower end of the plate. The

plate is provided with a lateral opening B leading from theshaft-bearing, through which the contiguous end of the shaft can beremoved from the plate and the other end of v the shaft then withdrawnfrom its bearingB",

which is a simple socket-bearing secured to the upright A thus renderingthe shaft easily detachable from its bearings without removing any ofthe supporting parts. I am thus able to provide a foot or knee restwhich may be easily and quickly swung into and out of the passage-way Pbetween two seats arranged one in front of the other, substantially asindicated by the relative position of the seats in Figs. 2 and NVhat Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a rock-shaft and shaft-supporting bearings, ofa series of footrests hinged at one edge, independently of each other,to such shaft, rest-controllingspring connections between the severalrests and the shaft, and a rock-lever connected with such shaft,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a rock-shaft and shaft-supporting bearings, ofa foot-rest secured at one edge to such shaft, a rook-lever hinged tosuch shaft to swing in its axial plane, and a lever-locking stop, saidlever being adapted to turn the shaft and also to be moved into and outof engagement with said stop, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day ofFebruary, 1890.

THOMAS N. DERBY.

Witnesses:

FRANK O. CURTIS, CHAS. L. ALDEN.

